Rockefeller Foundation controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2020
Legacy of oil-funded philanthropy
The foundation's historic dependence on wealth derived from Standard Oil has prompted scrutiny of the relationship between its philanthropic mission, fossil-fuel wealth, and contemporary climate policy.
1940
Guatemalan syphilis experiments litigation
The foundation has been named in litigation and historical discussions concerning alleged institutional roles connected with U.S. government experiments in Guatemala that exposed subjects to syphilis without consent.
1940
Non-consensual Vanderbilt radiation experiment
A 1940s Vanderbilt University experiment gave radioactive iron to pregnant women without informed consent. Historical accounts have discussed Rockefeller-linked funding and the broader ethical problems surrounding the research.
1930
Eugenics and heredity research funding
The foundation supported some eugenics-related and human-heredity research during the twentieth century. Historians have criticized these grants for their association with coercive, racist, and scientifically discredited ideas.
1930
Controversy involving Cornelius P. Rhoads
Cornelius P. Rhoads, associated with Rockefeller-supported medical research, became embroiled in a racism controversy after writing statements about Puerto Rican patients that were interpreted as describing unethical experimentation.